CABINET MAKER TURNS TO CARS

Stephen Sowerby's growing business combines a lifetime of woodworking with a passion for classics

- CHARLIE CALDERWOOD

There's no competitiveness in this business," says Paul Stilwell, one of the two woodworkers Coachworks at Sowerby & Veneering. "Not enough of us are doing it to need to worry about that!" Company founder Stephen Sowerby trained as a furniture maker under his father and spent much of his working life in that arena, but 10 years ago he refocused his woodworking talents as a way of combining his love of cars with his trade.

While helping to restore a local stable, Stephen was somewhat forcefully introduced to the practice of car body framing by a fellow woodworker. "He was restoring his own Hillman Aero Minx and I kept going to have a look," recalls Stephen. "Eventually he came to my workshop and dumped another Hillman chassis he had, as well as a big pile of ash, and told me to build a body." Serendipity played its part, too. Stephen's first paid job came by chance, when a neighbour visiting the workshop saw the Hillman frame and commissioned a body for his Rover Eight tourer. "Then his friend with another Rover Eight wanted an identical body," says Stephen.

"I then realised it was a viable business and put out a few adverts. Within a few days I had my third job, and it snowballed from there."